Encouragement

I read a beautiful blog post last week from Sara at Classically Homeschooling that really got me thinking. Sara is a classical educator (as is my family) and was writing about homeschooling ‘non academic’ kids with the classical method. The classical model is known for being rigorous. Twelve year olds are studying Latin, learning to write persuasive essays, and (in our Classical Conversations group) drawing the entire world by heart by the end of the year. For the less academic scholar (and their parents), this can be intimidating.

What does it mean to be ‘non-academic’? I don’t think anyone is really non-academic. My kids do academic things everyday. I prefer the term ‘less-academic’ for the purposes of this post.

From my perspective, as the mother of 7 kids with learning challenges like dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD, this means that traditional academic pursuits that require extensive reading and writing are more difficult and require more work than their more academic peers.

Not just this, but their strongest gifts and talents may lie elsewhere – perhaps in the arts, business, or sports.

Sara’s blog post really got me thinking. What does all of this mean for our kids’ education? Should we expect less of them? Should we avoid more difficult subjects? What do we do when they are unable to keep up and master every subject – whether or not they study using the classical method.

Homeschooling the Less Academic Child

Does a child need to be ‘academic’ to succeed in school? If not, what does that look like?

Things move more slowly. One of the hallmark signs of child with a learning disability is the discrepancy between their IQ and their academic performance. They have the intellectual ability but processing, memory, and attention weaknesses make learning more time consuming. The most affective accommodation for students with learning disabilities is more time. Our kids can master any subject – in time.

They don’t need to get an ‘A’ in every subject. I attended a lecture at the International Dyslexia Association conference a few years ago where a young dyslexic woman shared how she managed her learning struggles in college. I loved her candor about choosing the courses that were the most important to her, and focusing on getting ‘A’s in those classes. My dyslexic kids can be near the head of their class in some subjects and near the bottom in others – and that is okay.

An atmosphere of possibilities in your home. This time of year finds many families reassessing their homeschooling options. Some are heading off to private or charter schools. Many are changing curriculum. How are you handling the challenges in your homeschool? One thing homeschooling kids with dyslexia for 20 years has taught me is that they. can. learn. anything. They may not learn it in the same time frame or with the same methods as other kids, but they can. In our home, we face obstacles in learning with the attitude of working together to find a solution or strategy. This is where teaching kids about the power of a growth mindset is invaluable. I teach our kids to say, “I can’t do this – yet.” and not to be defined by the struggle, rather by the overcoming of the struggle.

Focus on learning how to learn. This is perhaps the main benefit of homeschooling kids who learn differently. One kid needs quiet to study, another needs music playing in the background in order to focus. One kid needs to hear information to make it stick and another needs to see it or touch it. Teaching our kids how they learn and giving them the tools and time to practice is giving them a skill that will help them be lifetime learners. Are they learning how to think, to communicate, to be an active part of their education? If they are, then whether they memorize all of their vocabulary words or master their times tables doesn’t matter.

Focus on character. Educating our kids at home involves more than academics. Character traits like perseverance, kindness, and selflessness are becoming less and less common in our youth. Kids who struggle have more of an opportunity to grow in character traits like patience, perseverance, and humility than other kids and that doesn’t need to be a bad thing.

While there are many areas of our kids’ education that can feel out of our control (will they ever master their times tables?), these five areas are things we can control. We can control our pace, our expectations, our attitudes that affect the atmosphere of our homes. We can control what we teach and how we teach so that our kids grow into their God-given gifts and talents.

Keeping Up

What do we do when our kids can’t keep up with their classmates? In non-classroom situations, I teach them at their pace. If they’re reading at a 1st grade level in 4th grade, I teach at that level until they master the content.

What if they’re in a classroom situation? Our Classical Conversations leaders encourage scaling back if necessary. If a child is struggling to keep up, the parent is free to scale back the requirements. They are still working for the same amount of time but perhaps declining every other sentence in Latin or answering questions about literature orally instead of writing them down.

Curriculum is a tool for teaching, not a master to be obeyed.

What about grades?

As our children’s teachers, we have the freedom to assign and expect what we know our kids can do. I created an editable grading rubric that I use to set up customized expectations for my unique kids. It’s easy to set up and simplifies assigning a grade based on the individualized goals that we have for our kids/students.

As Sarah beautifully writes in her post (you can read that post here), the goal of education is “to encourage kids to learn, to shape their body, minds, and souls. And to help children see the beauty of the world.”

How about you? Does a child need to be ‘academic’ to be a success in school?

One of the things that helped me along the path of teaching, understanding, and nurturing my kids with dyslexia was finding a dyslexia support group. Have you ever felt alone or like no one else understood what you were experiencing? I know I have and it is a terribly lonely place to be.

If you prefer to listen to this post, click the player below.

Why You Need Support on Your Dyslexia Journey

Growing up, I never even knew that there was such a thing as dyslexia. I never struggled much in school and wasn’t aware that about 20% of my classmates had trouble with reading, writing, and spelling despite being fun-loving and perfectly intelligent.

So when our first born (and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th) struggled to learn to read I was at a complete loss as to what to do or how to help them. In fact, without realizing it, I believed most of the myths about dyslexia.

I’ll never forget the day I met two other moms with kids my son’s age whose kids were also dealing with dyslexia. We learned so much from each other – things like how our kids were awesome despite their reading issues, what curricula were working and which weren’t, and how to find a tester and tutor in our area. Most importantly, I didn’t feel alone anymore. These ladies became trusted friends that I could call on when things got tough or if I had a question or concern. Let’s look at how you can find the support of like-minded families on the same journey as you.

Types of Dyslexia Support Groups

There are essentially 3 kinds of support groups that I have been involved with:

Local support groups: You can find local support groups on your local International Dyslexia Association website (not the main IDA website). You can find the local branch of the IDA closest to you here. These groups meet either monthly or quarterly and choose topics of interest to their attendees. The downside of these groups is that most, if not all, attendees are not homeschoolers and you may have to travel some distance to find a group near you.

Start your own support group. Our homeschool group has a meeting once a month with speakers and activities for families with kids with all kinds of learning challenges. I like this option because the members are truly local and can be a wealth of information on local services, tutors, and programs that work. These are the moms that you can call on the phone and meet for coffee or at the park when you need an ear.

Online support groups: Online support groups are a terrific way to get connected with other families with kids with dyslexia. They are missing the local aspect of the first two groups, but the benefit of these groups is that you have the experience of wide range of members with a variety of experiences. You can ask the most random of questions and someone will be able to relate. There are a few groups that I frequent.

Best Online Dyslexia Support Groups

Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook Page: This is my page so I am a bit biased. 😉 Everyday, this page shares articles on dyslexia research, teaching methods, inspiration and posts from the HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com website. Reader questions are posted once or twice a day for feedback from the community.

Homeschooling Dyslexic Kids Facebook Page: This is a very responsive and active community. Readers questions post directly to the wall and members are quick to respond. This is a very supportive and knowledgeable group.

Not the Former Things Facebook Page: A super encouraging page with an emphasis on dyslexia, autism, sensory processing issues, chronic illness, complicated diagnoses, and the daily struggles and joys of homeschooling outside the box kids.

the buy every curriculum that exists stage (this one will be the right curriculum!)

the minimalist stage (that mom on eBay!)

the burnout stage (when coffee and chocolate were my best friends)

the acceptance stage (just keep swimming…)

the committed for the long-haul stage (where I am now!)

One thing that I’ve learned in all of these years and stages is that homeschool moms need a handful of things to keep their tanks full so that they can keep the homeschool train moving.

Homeschool Moms Need to be Challenged

Homeschool moms are some of the hardest working and dedicated people I know. We are, however, human and can slip into complacency and boredom almost without realizing it. We need to have our status quo mentality shaken here and there and to be inspired to aim high in our homeschools.

Homeschool Moms Need to Get Educated

Public school teachers have yearly teacher training requirements for a reason. We do well to take time to learn from others who have more experience or training than we do.

Homeschool Moms Need to be Encouraged

How is it that after all of our careful research and planning, our kids have the audacity to complain about their schoolwork! Why can’t our husbands understand why we’ve chosen to toss out the curriculum package we splurged on 6 months ago for something newer and better? Being a homeschool mom can be a lonely job. If we’re going to keep on keeping on, we need to be encouraged that we can succeed at teaching our kids at home, despite the inevitable ups and downs.

Homeschool Moms Need Community

Homeschool moms need the community of like-minded women who are on the journey with them. Our family faithfully attends our twice a month homeschool park day, not so the kids can play though. We go to park day so I can talk to other moms that I have known for years and who really ‘get’ what this long haul, homeschool journey looks and feels like.

Homeschool Moms Need a Break

I’m not talking about ‘mom-time’ here. I debunked that myth long ago! The more time I had away, the more time I wanted! We are far better off making our homes a place that we love than finding ways to escape. That being said, having a break from the routine can often lead to inspiration and perspective not easily obtained in the thick of back-to-back homeschool days.

One Easy Way to Meet all of These Needs

Essentially, moms need to take care of themselves. We need to take care to not pour out all we have without refueling along the way. One easy way that I have been able to do this during my 20 years of homeschooling is by attending homeschool conferences.

In fact, these days I speak at homeschool conferences yet I still attend sessions when I’m not speaking myself! I look forward to going every year and learning more about current laws and political issues, teaching methods that I haven’t tried yet, and let’s not forget the curriculum hall. I love to be able to actually put my hands on different books and programs and getting a ‘feel’ for what is out there.

Find a convention near you and fill your homeschool mama tank by learning from people who have gone before you, rubbing elbows with other moms just like you, and take a break from the routine to get some much-needed perspective on how things are going in your homeschool.

You don’t have to bring the whole family and stay in a hotel spending a small fortune on meals and entertainment. Consider attending for just one day or finding a few friends to carpool and share hotel expenses with.

It is not uncommon for homeschooling parents to get overwhelmed from time to time. I jokingly refer to February (and sometimes March as well) as National Homeschool Burnout Month. The reality is that there are days when it seems like everyone has a bad attitude, the laundry is piled to the ceiling and the toilet overflows because your toddler stuffed an entire roll of toilet paper in it while you were teaching your reluctant 3rd grader. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had one-of-those-days!

Getting It All Done in Your Homeschool

Having realistic expectations about homeschooling your kids is an important part of being able to press on through those difficult days.

I do have some homeschool productivity hacks from my nearly 20 years of homeschooling.

All of these tips are effective for teaching any type of learner but more so for homeschooling the dyslexic child. Kids with dyslexia often need more one-on-one time with mom (or dad) and become independent learners later than kids without dyslexia.

6 Productivity Hacks for Your Homeschool

Start Earlier. By setting your alarm and getting out of bed a bit earlier, you can accomplish more. This is especially true if you are homeschooling more than one child. Teaching one child early in the morning can provide a quiet environment and add a few extra hours to your day. This may not be an option if you have infants or young children who aren’t sleeping through the night yet.

Combine Teaching. Although a typical course of study may suggest that 1st graders study American History, 4th graders study State History andyour 6th grader study World History, this is not necessary in the homeschool – or recommended if you value your mental health! It is okay to teach all of your kids one subject each year in subjects like science, history, and the arts. Math and reading may require more of your time but by combining your other subjects you will save time and have a better chance of staying sane.

Delegate Inside the House. Children are amazingly capable people. Six-year-olds can keep an eye on the baby in her bouncy seat while the 10- year-old reads to the toddler. Older kids can prepare meals and help with the house keeping. There is no way that you can homeschool your kids, cook, clean, do laundry and drive everyone to practice and clubs. You can’t do it all! Delegate!

Delegate Outside the House. Sometimes you just need to get some professional help. Whether you hire a house cleaner once or twice a month or hire a certified dyslexia tutor to help with reading instruction, if you are struggling to achieve your priorities in your homeschool, consider delegating outside the home. A few years ago we hired a tutor to help one of our kids with Algebra. Oh my – total game changer!

Online or Computerized Curricula. I’ve mentioned before how all of our kids switch to Teaching Textbooks as their main math curriculum in 3rd grade. It truly is like having the good math teacher every year! Another computer program that has been a huge help on busy days is Nessy Reading and Spelling. If I’m busy with the older kids or have some other interruption, my two emerging readers hop on Nessy for reading practice. They really do love it! I’m amazed at how motivating the games are and how hard they will try to read. One more program that we have used and loved is Reading Horizons Elevate. This is an online Orton-Gillingham reading curriculum that is fantastic! Read my full review of Reading Horizons here.

Take a Break to Build Productivity. It can be easy to get caught up in all of the details of assignments and commitments as a busy parent, whether you homeschool or not. If our family is struggling with poor attitudes, irritability and lack of enthusiasm, we will take a break for a day or two.

Sometimes we will head outside for the day. My favorite place to unwind and find peace is at the beach. Even if it is cooler outside, we still enjoy the wide open space, the lack of electronic stimulation and the fresh air. Other times we will go on a field trip to an event, museum or show. It is amazing how having a little fun together as a family can reset everyone’s clock and help us get back to work with the right attitudes.

How about you? What tips or tricks have helped make your homeschool more productive?

Kids still in their pajamas at noon? Chores not finished? Schoolwork not getting completed?

We’ve all been there, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if our kids got up in the morning and got dressed, completed their assignments, and did their chores? That would be some radical transformation!

While there is no magic bullet that will remove all those pesky, real-life obstacles that stand in the way of your family and a peaceful home, there is something that you can do each day that, over time, will result in a home that is substantially more peaceful and productive.

The Power of Habit

Studies show that 40-45% of everything we do each day is done out of habit. Habits are those things that we do with very little conscious thought – like driving for example, or for many of us homeschool moms, making the morning coffee.

The power of habit is that activities done out of habit require very little conscious effort or thought and therefore require less mental energy.

Thus, if we have a habit of going to the gym every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when the alarm goes off on Monday morning we aren’t wondering if we should go to the gym, or where our gym clothes are or searching for any other excuse for not going to the gym. It’s Monday. It’s a gym day. Boom – done!

Think about that for a minute.

Imagine your children getting up in the morning, finishing their morning routines and hitting the books with little to no reminders from you. Looks nice, doesn’t it?

In my 20+ years of homeschooling, establishing good habits in your home will transform your school day.

Let’s take a look at how habits are established and some simple strategies for growing helpful habits in your home.

How to Habits Are Established

Habits are created simply by doing a task or activity consistently over time. While simple, this isn’t always easy.

Establishing habits is difficult at first – especially the first time a task is attempted.

I remember when I first set about to make a habit of going to the gym. I got up early, full of determination, but couldn’t find my gym clothes, ended up waking up the kids and struggling to get out the door.

With time and routine, I was able to get out the door more and more easily, and finally, after a short time, everyone knew I was going to the gym and a new habit was formed.

Small Wins and Momentum

Interestingly, once I had established a habit of going to the gym, I was more motivated to eat better. In fact, I began to grow in my confidence and began to focus on other areas of my life that were crying out for more discipline.

This happy chain of events is sometimes referred to as ‘small wins’. Once we begin to experience success in one area of life, our confidence builds and we have the inspiration to tackle other areas of our lives. Momentum builds as we build habit upon habit.

Having discipline in one area often results in growing discipline in other areas.

Habits at Home: 3 Steps

So how can we apply this idea of habit to our homes and homeschools?

1. Start small

Remember that habits build upon one another and are difficult to establish in the beginning. If we start small, with one habit, we won’t overwhelm our kids.

Pick one area in which to start building habits. Here’s a good place to start.

Teach your kids to make their beds!

This simple task has been linked to some amazing benefits.

Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget. It’s not that… a tidy bed causes better grades or less frivolous spending. But somehow those initial shifts start chain reactions that help other good habits take hold. – Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit

Making your bed has the added benefit of only taking about 2 minutes to accomplish and there is immediate positive feedback – a neater, tidier room.

The two-minute rule

Another simple habit to teach your kids was proposed by David Allen, author of Getting Things Done:

If it takes less than two minutes, do it now.

Think of all the things that can be accomplished in two minutes!

2. Positive feedback or rewards

It is important for a habit to form for there to be some kind of positive feedback or reward after the activity is completed.

My reward for going to the gym was looking better and having more energy. The reward for making your bed is a neat and at least somewhat orderly room.

Create a morning time habit

A morning table time is another great place to start establishing habits. Starting the day off with a well-established routine will help the rest of the day to go well, and if the day does go south, hey – you had a good morning right?

For me as a busy mom, I like to write down everything that is included in a morning routine or our morning table time.

Over time, as the habit is formed, my kids know to get the supplies that they need and are ready to start without my prompting. The reward is getting a lot of school work accomplished in a short period of time in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

I have found that as long as Mom is organized, the kids eventually easily follow suit.

3. Be consistent

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Have you ever heard that it takes 30 days to establish a habit? Studies actually show that habits are established in between two and eight months. Can you miss a day or two here and there? Absolutely! The key takeaway is that consistency over time is important in establishing a habit.

A List of Helpful Homeschool Habits

Productivity experts all agree that a good night sleep and exercise are the foundation of a productive day. These two daily habits can be established in your home by setting an example and creating a family routine of bedtimes and daily outdoor playtime.

Other helpful homeschool habits:

morning mile – taking the kids for a 1 mile walk/run every morning

morning routine – start small and add activities (I use lists) of things to be accomplished before school

morning time – see this post for more info on this simple but powerful homeschool habit

bible study or quiet time – usually in the morning after waking or evening before sleeping

library day

reading/listening time

assigned reading

chores

evening routine

playing outside everyday

eat dinner together

How Healthy Habits Affect Kids as They Grow

Habits grow other habits. That’s why signing kids up for piano lessons or sports is so important. It has nothing to do with creating a good musician or athletes. When you experience the power of habit by practicing for an hour or running everyday, you start building self-regulatory strength. A five-year-old who can follow the ball for ten minutes becomes a sixth grader who can start his schoolwork on time.

If you’re still not convinced that establishing habits in your kids is worth the time and effort, think about this. Research has shown that self-discipline predicted academic performance more than did IQ. Self-discipline also predicted which students would improve their grades over the course of the school year, whereas IQ did not.… Self-discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than does intellectual talent.

In this class you will learn why it is so difficult for some kids to be organized, despite their desire to be organized. The course contains a wide variety of proven methods and techniques for establishing good habits in your home.

Do you have a perfectionist child? One that is unsatisfied with pretty much anything they accomplish? Sometimes even when they’ve done a good job? It’s sad to watch our kids missing out on the joy of creating art or music, playing sports or other competitive activities that could bring them such a sense of accomplishment.

Many kids with learning issues seem to struggle with this as well. Something about the fear of failure, mixed with anxiety and self-doubt leads our kids to continually be disappointed in themselves and their abilities.

From a teen son who drops out of soccer just when he makes it to All-Stars to an 8-year old who has to be taken out of art class each week because of tantrums and tears, perfectionism manifests in lots of different ways.

Signs of Perfectionist Kids

It isn’t so much the drive or desire to be perfect that defines a perfectionist child, rather their response to not actually being perfect. Some signs of perfectionism in children are:

extreme reactions to perceived failures

putting themselves down or highly critical of self

unwilling to try new things

a strong fear of failure

hypersensitive to criticism

tend to seek approval from others

have rigid ideas of how things should be

think that tasks should be easy or that they are easy for everyone besides them

Of course, not all kids will have all of these signs. Every perfectionist is unique!

How to Help Your Perfectionist Child

As in many parenting hurdles, there is a balance between pushing your kids and letting your kids sit an activity out.

Play games. There are so many life skills learned through the simple playing of games. Learning how to lose (graciously) is one of them.

Help kids set realistic goals or expectations. Encourage your perfectionist child to make an earnest attempt. We used a touch of consequence for our perfectionist son. He was to attempt each art lesson with a good attitude. He could modify his project with the teacher’s approval after making an earnest effort first. Shouting, crying or stomping out of the room resulted in a loss of privileges at home. Another idea is to suggest that a perfectionist student earns an 80-90% on school work. Then discuss the consequences of that outcome. Did the world come to an end? Probably not. Or teach them to prioritize which tasks they are going to excel in and which they can reasonably let lie a bit.

Help them see the benefits of making mistakes. Read the book Mistakes That Workedwhich is full of stories of mistakes that ended up being cool new inventions. Or The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, a humorous story illustrating that it is indeed okay to make mistakes.

For older kids, share this research that recently appeared in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition that found that learning becomes better if conditions are arranged so that students make errors. Participants who failed at their first attempt to solve a problem, were better able to remember the correct way to solve the problem once taught the correct way to solve. Note: This is one reason why we love Teaching Textbooks for Math so much. Incorrect problems are corrected immediately for more meaningful learning!

Share your own struggles. One of the most powerful things we can do as parents is to be real and relational. That time the power was shut off because I forgot to pay the bill? Embarrassing for sure, but a great lesson in how adults make mistakes too.

Don’t give in to their perfectionism. Perfectionism will grow if it is encouraged. Despite your child’s tears and tantrums about not having things ‘just right’, they need to learn to live in a world where life isn’t always just the way they would like it to be. Setting boundaries with kids where possible is important.

What Do You Say?

I asked the members of the Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook Page how they helped their perfectionist kids. If you haven’t joined our group on Facebook, you need to do that! What an amazing group of parents.

Here are some of our reader’s suggestions for helping perfectionist kids:

My daughter struggles with this. I just keep reminding her it’s called learning for a reason. It’s not called “knowing”.

I took away grades for a while. My oldest was so worried about her grades she couldn’t learn. Once she figured out she enjoyed learning I slowly added grades back in.

I remind them who we are striving to please (God) and His requirements (do it heartily) for work. I try to remind them and myself being a perfectionist is serving myself, not God!

I remind her it is “progress not perfection.” And she isn’t supposed to be getting everything perfect, it is supposed to challenge her and she is doing great as long as she is improving.

We struggle within our home. Unfortunately, it starts with me… Still working on it.

Watch Disney’s movie Meet the Robinsons. It has a great message that failing is a good thing because it helps us learn.

I didn’t do it on purpose but noticed the benefit after a while… We put him in a sport where he ended up failing more often than succeeding at first. I told him I was proud of him for keeping at it, and that I thought he was learning a valuable lesson, that failure isn’t the end of the world, you get back up and try again! But it was nice that it happened in something besides his schooling.

My son’s speech therapist held the key. Whenever we saw frustration, she’d say “It’s OK to not get these right. You’re just learning to ___.” Or “When you’re first learning to ____, it can seem hard.” There are a bunch of statements like that, but you get the idea. I have to tell you, it’s changed everything and his progress is incredibly fast now.

My daughter has been a perfectionist since kindergarten (now entering grade 3). It is such a struggle! What worked before was describing her learning like planting a flower. A seed doesn’t turn into a flower instantly. It requires lots of care over time. So does learning. The first time we introduce a concept is simply planting the seed. To really learn it she needs to give it time and energy every day. If she stops working on it, we need to start from the beginning. This has worked for spelling words, piano practice, math concepts, etc. HOWEVER, the more difficult part is how hard she is on herself. The emotional aspect of her perfectionism. This last year, with reading, she would get soo upset. So, our goal was mini reading sessions and we didn’t work on fluency or correct words. We only worked on not being angry at herself. I would reinforce her like crazy if she made it through 3 minutes of reading without any negative self-talk – regardless of how many words she got wrong!

How about you? How have you helped your perfectionist kids?

Most people are familiar with famous sculptures such as Michelangelo’s ‘David’ or Rodin’s ‘Thinker’. But have you ever heard of micro-sculpture? These tiny creations can actually fit in the eye of a needle!

Willard Wigan is the micro sculptor whose talent makes literally microscopic works of art possible. These sculptures are so small that viewers must use a microscope in order to examine them! Such an unusual specialty makes Willard stand apart from other artists, so others are frequently curious about how his career path as a micro sculptor first began.

Early Days

Willard was always interested in creating small things. He says, “It began when I was five years old.I started making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. Then I made them shoes and hats. It was a fantasy world I escaped to.”

Escape is a common theme among young children with dyslexia, and Willard is no exception. Born in 1957 in Birmingham, England, Willard found it difficult to relate to traditional learning through the written word, so school was a challenge. Willard was faced with constant bullying from classmates and discouragement from teachers.

Trouble in School

He acted out, even going so far as stealing a microscope from the science lab in retaliation for unkind treatment from a teacher. One teacher caused him to feel so much distress that he says, “(She) destroyed me academically. Obliterated. That was it. I became a recluse. I locked myself away.” It was during this time of self-imposed isolation that he happened to make a miniature carving of a woman on the very tip of a toothpick. When he showed the toothpick to his mother, she told him it was good, and very nice.

Willard still recalls this moment in great detail; this positive feedback was a transitional moment for him, who came to a realization right then. The realization was this: He could be the greatest at something. And that thing was micro sculpture.

Finding Purpose

Willard focused all of his energy on his art. He became devoted to the idea of fitting more and more items with greater and greater detail in minuscule spaces. He didn’t attend formal classes, and to this day, he is completely self-taught. His current sculptures are as small as .0002 of an inch, fitting easily on the head of a pin or the end of an eyelash.

Included among them are sculptures of familiar people, places, and scenes throughout history, including Noah’s Ark, The Last Supper, The Titanic, and Pieta. He has sculpted the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on a coffee bean and a model of St. Bartholomew’s Church on a grain of sand. Always striving to be better, Willard says, “As small as what you’ve seen, it’s not the best of me yet. I’m taking it even smaller because I’m not satisfied with my work right now; it’s too big.”

Making an Impact

Willard’s work is considered inspirational and educational across other professions. His groundbreaking techniques and skills have helped others in different professions make great advances in their fields. He advises watch makers, micro-surgeons, nano-technologists and universities worldwide on techniques to improve their abilities, such as training their hands to only make movements only between heartbeats.

In 2007, Willard was decorated with one the highest awards given to citizens from the British government, a Member of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his contributions to the art community.

Willard is a dedicated supporter of charitable causes, particularly those relating to children and animals. Often taking time out from his busy schedule, Willard works with children in less privileged circumstances.

Words of Wisdom

During his interviews for the 2011 documentary, “Journey into Dyslexia,” he said, “Being dyslexic is actually a gift. That’s what I believe.” That boy who found art as an escape has amounted to one of the most respected and esteemed artists in the world, a role model for the children he works so hard to inspire.

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, knows this truth all too well. Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree was born July 14, 1977, and is the daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She is the heir to the Swedish throne and has spent her entire life preparing to take on that role.

Being bullied

But being the princess of her country didn’t make her immune to the bullying she faced at school because she is dyslexic. As a child, her classmates would laugh and tease her when she read aloud, questioning her intelligence over and over again.

Over time, she came to believe these lies and her self-confidence plummeted. “I used to think I was stupid and slow,” she recalls. As a teenager, she suffered from an eating disorder and sought treatment for it and other mental health issues related to her low self-esteem. It was during this treatment that she first began to understand herself and finally accept her learning disability. Armed with new coping skills and determination, she found the will to recover and the strength to overcome her personal difficulties.

Growing up largely in the public eye, Victoria heavily felt the demands and pressures that came along with her family and title. Everything she did was under scrutiny. She says of her childhood, “There are times when you wish you were somewhere else, and someone else.”

She was expected to excel academically, but continually struggled with reading and understanding. She remembers, “For me school was fun, but it was also very demanding. When one has reading and writing difficulties, it can be tough sometimes.”

A dyslexic King and Prince

But Victoria had the important support of her family; her father, King Carl, and her brother, Prince Carl Philip, have a special understanding of her academic difficulties because they, too, are dyslexic.

Prince Carl Philip has himself faced his fair share of bullying, even as an adult. When he misspoke while reading aloud at a charity event, local media labeled him “stupid and unintelligent.” The burden of the pressure she felt, coupled with her difficulty in learning, led her to battle a very serious eating disorder for several years. But with the support of her family and her determination to overcome, Victoria’s treatment was successful. She learned to rely on herself and her loved ones for help and worked hard to overcome her struggles.

Finding success

Victoria has gone on to be very successful in her studies, despite being dyslexic. She pursued coursework in political science at Yale University, and has taken special courses in Swedish parliament. She has even attended and participated in United Nations sessions.

Victoria also completed basic soldier training with the Swedish Armed Forces, a feat that is both physically and academically challenging. She studied abroad in France, Germany, and the United States, all in preparation for the political role she will take when she becomes Queen.

Over time she has truly blossomed into an admirable and qualified princess of Sweden who has earned the respect of her country’s people.

Helping others

Her unique experience with dyslexia made Victoria determined to spread awareness and understanding of it, so that others with learning difficulties can reach out to find the support they need to succeed.

Her comfort in speaking publicly about her experiences in itself is important for the many children coping with feelings of inadequacy. She hopes her sharing will help spark conversations among others. Victoria says, “It can sound like a simple problem, but it isn’t. I know.”

Spreading awareness

What she knows is that lack of awareness of learning disabilities can cause serious ramifications for a child: bullying, low-self esteem, depression, and other mental health issues, among other things. Her goal is to enable others to recognize and understand dyslexia so that children, families, and educators can work together toward success. Victoria was able to learn to strategies to help her succeed at school, and she hopes to be an encouragement so that others to succeed as well. She is an advocate and a helper for those with learning disabilities, and her ability to overcome encourages so many others worldwide.

Can you see it? That light, shining at the end of the tunnel of another wild and crazy year of homeschooling?

Me too! Our co-op has finished until the Fall. Our high school senior is ironing her cap and gown and the graduation announcements are in the mail. It’s the end of another beautiful and busy year of homeschooling.

As we all breathe a collective sigh of relief, I thought it would be fun to share with you an short but powerful interview I did with learning specialist and educational therapist, Dr. Erica Warren.

We talked about the benefits and the power of homeschooling from the perspective of a mom (me!) who has been in the trenches for 20 years now.

Whether you’ve been homeschooling for years or just beginning to consider homeschooling, you’ll be encouraged!

Do you have a homeschool success story? How has homeschooling been powerful for your family? Please share in the comments!

Erin Brockovich may be best known as the legal assistant responsible for the largest direct-action lawsuit in history, but did you know she is also dyslexic?

Early struggles

Growing up in Kansas, she struggled in school and recalls feeling overwhelmed by learning even as early as the second grade. Like many others with learning struggles, she was undiagnosed until adulthood, so additional resources weren’t made available to her.

Teachers were generally unfamiliar with dyslexia at the time, and their constant frustration with her left her feeling continually discouraged. They advised her not to go to college, as she surely wouldn’t be able to pass. One teacher even called her stupid in front of her peers. She faced bullying from classmates because of her inability to understand readings and complete classwork. Success seemed unattainable, and she struggled greatly with her self-confidence. But through her trials, she found the will to reach inside herself and discover her inner strength.

One Caring Adult…

Erin credits one teacher in particular, Ms. Borseff, for spurring major change in her life. This teacher was the first to notice that Erin understood the coursework even though she consistently failed written exams. Trying to strategize creatively, Ms. Borseff verbally presented exam questions to her and convinced the other teachers to do the same. Erin passed the tests with flying colors!

Instantly, both her self-esteem and self-value surged. Ms. Borseff found this minor accommodation to be the crucial first key in helping Erin unlock her potential in learning. Erin knew she was capable of learning, as did Ms. Borseff, so working together toward her goals helped empower her to learn.She decided right then to never let her disability stop her from reaching her goals.

A changed life

“Life is full of challenges whether you are learning disabled or not. It’s how you handle those challenges.” – Erin Brockovich

Erin was forced to learn accountability and responsibility for her actions, and became self-taught in strategies to help her understand and memorize information. She continued her education based on her passions and successfully completed community college.

Later in life she became a single mother and was further driven to succeed by her devotion to her children. She became a legal clerk, and despite having no formal legal training whatsoever, her diligent work on the lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric helped bring about the largest settlement in history, totaling $333 million.

Another related suit against Pacific Gas and Electric’s Kettleman worksite was settled for $335 million shortly after. An important part of her job on these cases was to read and take notes on thousands of pages of detailed medical records and tedious legal briefs, a daunting feat that would have seemed impossible to her younger self.

Changing the world

The record-breaking settlements were instrumental in driving environmental policy changes and forcing accountability for large corporations in America. Her relentless pursuit of them was such a compelling story that it became the subject of the 2000 film, Erin Brockovich. Julia Roberts played the starring role of Ms. Brockovich, and the movie went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards.

What Erin is doing now

Erin is still working as a successful activist and advocate, tirelessly laboring to improve the environment and empower individuals without a voice. She has gone on to become president of her own consulting firm, brought about many other large-scale environmental lawsuits, hosted several television programs, and has even written a book titled, Take it from Me: Life’s a Struggle, but You Can Win. She is a passionate advocate for children with learning disabilities and recently opened up about her personal struggles with dyslexia in the 2011 HBO documentary, Journey into Dyslexia.

Lessons learned

Erin’s real-world success is in large part due to her experience overcoming dyslexia. The lessons she learned throughout those hardships directly prepared her to be strong, diligent, resolute, and creative. Speaking directly to children who struggle with learning, she offers valuable wisdom to help them reach their full potential:

“Never give up hope. When someone helping you gets frustrated, don’t let them. Take a step back, because you can’t learn anything under pressure. And don’t worry about the label!”

Dyslexia was an obstacle that uniquely helped Erin become a better and more successful person, and she is a true inspiration to others.